Just a few weeks back, Fingertech Robotics released
the upgraded version of their
popular TinyESC single channel
speed controller. I was one of the
first to have a chance to try out
this new piece of hardware in the
arena, and my experience so far
has been nothing but positive.

The original TinyESC was
released to the market in late
2008 and soon became a favorite
among insect builders. Two
separate versions of the speed
controller were made available:
one requiring an
external 5V from
the receiver; and
the second with a
5V 100 mAh
continuous
battery eliminator
circuit at no real
weight difference
and an increased
cost of less than
$5. It also
featured reliable
temperature, over-current, and over-voltage
protection to help prevent the
release of the infamous magic
smoke that plagues most
electronics in this field. Of course,
the most defining attribute of the
TinyESC is its namesake compact
and lightweight design — take it
up less than five grams and is
small enough to be crammed
inside a half inch cube.

The TinyESC v2 keeps all of

PHOTO 1, A front and rear view of the

TinyESC v2 displaying the header
pins and jumper used for the speed
controller’s new calibration function.